


Coming Out

by A_Gh0ulish_0wl



Category: Night In The Woods (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Trans Character, Coming Out, Gen, High School, Pre-Canon, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-26 02:00:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16672618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Gh0ulish_0wl/pseuds/A_Gh0ulish_0wl
Summary: Jackie works up the courage to come out to her best friend





	Coming Out

In a small town like Possum Springs, it's rare to see people who belonged into the LBGT community living there. The crumbling town was mostly filled with conservative older folks, whose views regarding people of different sexualities were considered outdated and bigoted. The idea of even coming out of the closet in a town like Possum Springs would end up in a disaster, a dangerous gamble for the one finally coming to terms with who they were.

But it was a gamble Jackie was willing to do.

For as long as she could remember, Jackie always felt like woman. She was born as Jason, and her family brought Jackie up as a son rather than a daughter. It was in her years in elementary school that Jackie began to question if she really was supposed to be born a boy. She began to resent her given birth name, and insisted her parents and family referred her as 'Jackie'. She wanted to wear more feminine clothing, and jewelry. Her family told Jackie that she was going through a phase and would grow out of it. They told her that God intended her to be a born a boy. For the next decade, Jackie lived as Jason, to her absolute annoyance and hatred. The one saving grace for Jackie was that her parents allowed her pick out her clothes, rather than automatically buying her more 'masculine' clothing.

When Jackie beginning her tenth grade, she discovered the term transgender while browsing the internet. The word seemed to describe Jackie's 'issue' perfectly: Being born in the wrong body and wanting to become the other gender. This lead her down a path of discovering and learning more about the trans community, and the LGBT community as a whole. She joined these LGBT safe internet boards and websites, where are trans people gathered and discussed their issues, from family problems to dysphoria. Jackie would add her own story, and it made her feel glad she was accepted by countless people online, people who were just like her. Even though her family would never accept her for being a transgender woman, it gave Jackie some comfort to know that what she was going through was not a phase and that there are other people who could sympathize and relate to her.

At the start of the school year, Jackie met Beatrice 'Bea' Santello. To Jackie, Bea was the closest she had to a sister. She was easy to talk to, and was surprisingly bubbly and giggly once Jackie really got to know her. At first, Bea seemed too interested in books to focus on friendships and socializing. But it was Jackie who helped Bea break out of her shell. Bea was also really intelligent, and often told Jackie her fantasies of going to college. Her intellect was also a huge benefit for Jackie, as Bea would help her study and would tutor her in subjects Jackie couldn't fully grasp. This helped boost Jackie's confidence in her own intelligence, and she passed almost all of her classes. Jackie thought her sophomore year would go smoothly, but the thought of telling Bea who she really was always lingered in her mind.

Jackie introduced herself as a woman when she first met Bea, never mentioning her birth gender or original name. She thought Bea wouldn't believe her, since her voice was rather masculine sounding and she lacked the common feminine features one would see in the average women. Surprisingly, Bea just saw Jackie as a typical high school girl. Jackie thanked her lucky stars, and moved away from the topic. But even after that, Jackie felt like she had to tell Bea everything. She felt like she was lying to her, her best friend, her sister. The guilt was practically eating her alive, yet she could never bring herself to do it. The idea of Bea leaving if Jackie were to tell her she was born a male haunted her sleep. She would have terrible nightmares of Bea abandoning her, calling her a disgusting liar. The bad dreams seemed to have taken a toll on Jackie, as she would walk into school with her fur in tangles and with heavy bags under her eyes.

The distressful transformation worried Bea and she approached her friend during lunch one day.

"You look like shit," she said, touching her clawed hand on Jackie's hoofed one. "What's happening with you?"

Jackie looked at her with solemn eyes. "Just insomnia..." she lied.

Bea squinted her eyes. "I call bullshit. You would always fall asleep first during sleepovers!"

Jackie flinched, and looked down at her boots.

Bea sighed, squeezing Jackie's hand. "Tell me what's wrong, Jackabee." Bea said soothingly.

Jackie looked up at Bea's gaze, and adjusted her glasses.

"I wanna go outside and tell you," she answered, standing up.

Bea cocked her head in confusion, but stood up as well. She nodded at Jackie as they both headed outside.

The Possum Springs High School had a courtyard that was connected to the school cafeteria on the outside. Students rarely went out there to eat lunch, it was more used an area for the teenagers to hang out and talk after lunch. Some of them would even come here after school to hang with friends.

No one was in the courtyard when Jackie and Bea entered. They hugged the wall, stopping near a corner under a tree. 

The anxiety grew within Jackie as they were walking, and only bubbled more when they found a place to talk. She tried to push it down by breathing in and out. In. Out. In. Out. She sighed, then faced Bea, hoofed hands in her pants pockets.

Bea stood there with her hands on her hips. "Jackie..." she began, but was cut off by her goat friend.

"Bea, I've kept this from you." Jackie said, eyes locked on with Bea's.

Bea took a step back. "Kept what from me?" she asked. Her voice almost sounded angry, and that worried Jackie.

The anxiety returned, but Jackie ignored it. "I... I-I..." She froze, then sighed once again. "I wasn't born a female."

Bea's eyes widened. "So you're..."

"Trans." Jackie finished. "Yes... I'm actually a transgender girl. My original name was Jason, but I never felt like a Jason..." Jackie paused for a moment, before continuing, "I've always felt like I was supposed  to be born a girl. Like God messed up or something and made me a boy instead of a girl... I want to live as a woman, to see myself as one..."

Jackie looked down, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She took her glasses off, wiping her eyes with her back hand.

"I-I didn't want to tell you," she whimpered out through sobs. "But the guilt of not telling you the truth was horrible... I-I had nightmares because of it... T-That's why I look t-terrible to you..."

She covered her face, her body wracking with the muffled sobs and sniffles. Snot and tears coated her hands, but she didn't care. The only emotions Jackie had at that moment were fear and anguish. The positive energy she radiated was gone. Now here she was, breaking down in front of her best friend, the anxiety within her at its peak.

As she was crying, Jackie felt a mass embrace her. She looked up to Bea hugging her tightly, tears threatening to pool out of her own eyes.

"Jackabee..." Bea whispered. "I'm so proud of you..."

Jackie sniffled, a look of confusion spread across her face.

"I'm so proud you told me," Bea continued. "I would've never known, and I would still feel like shit because I could never help you..." She released her friend, giving her space to let the emotions out of her system.

Jackie frowned, sniffling again. "I-I'm sorry..." she muttered.

Bea shook her head. "Don't be sorry, Jackie. Be happy and proud that you finally did it. That takes guts to say  something like that to a friend, especially that you did it in a shitty old conservative town."

Jackie cracked a smile. "I guess you're right. But you're not... weirded out? You still see me as a friend?"

The crocodile shook her head. "Why would I be weirded out? You're my best friend, Jackie. I would never judge you or leave you because you're trans. I mean, I'm friends with Gregg and he's the gayest man I know! But I would never leave him... nor would I ever leave you."

Jackie grinned, tears of relief running down her cheeks. She hugged Bea, burying her face in the crocodile's black dress.

"Thank you Bea..." she said, voice muffled by the fabric.

Bea gave Jackie a pat on her head, a smile etched across her face.

The bell sounded loudly, ringing across the high school. Bea looked up, patting Jackie on the shoulder.

"We got to leave." Bea said, as Jackie unhooked herself from her friend. "If we're late... Miss Briarwood would be pissed."

Jackie laughed, then shuddered at the thought of the rabbit history teacher yelling at them for their tardiness, her shrill voice echoing across the classroom.

"Yeah, let's go." Jackie said, putting on her glasses.

The two women nodded at each other before exiting the courtyard for their next class.

During this, Jackie felt a wave of relief hit her. Her best friend understood her, and was willing to stand by her, through thick and thin. She may not be accepted as a female by the rest of her friends or family, but at least her best friend will forever see her as the woman Jackie was meant to be.


End file.
